Method of enameling grain side of leather.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT A. GUIGUES, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

SPECIFICATION forming fpait 0f Letters Patent No. 654,830, dated July 31, 1900. Application filed $eptember 29, 1899- Serial No. 732,001- (Speoimens'a) To all whom it mag concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT A. GUIGUES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark,county of Essex, State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Preparing the Grain Side of Leather for Enameling, fully described and represented in the following specification.

The object of the present invention is to produce a patent-leather of superior quality and finish by applying the enamel coatings to the grain side of the leather, which is naturally of finer texture and smoother surface than the flesh side.

It is well known that the so-called grain upon the outer or hair side of leather is a thin layer of superficial character, which comprises finer fibers more closely knit together than the remainder of'the skin and possesses naturally a smooth surface. Upon the contrary, the flesh side is naturally rough and loose in texture and can only be adapted for receiving enamel coatings by carefulshaving, leveling, and smoothing. Notwithstanding the superiority of the skin side, it has not been common to enamel upon that side of the skin, because the enamel coatings do not adhere readily thereto. Upon whichever side the leather may be enameled it is common to apply a so-called daub of rather stiff consistency adapted to adhere without absorption, as the absorption of oils or pigments would tend materially to ,clog the pores of the leather and destroy its flexibility. This tends to produce cracks in the leather when in use, and it is therefore essential that the enamel should be united to the leather without mate- .rial absorption.

It is the object of the present invention to furnish a means for causing the adhesion of the coatings to the grain side of the leather without impairing its flexibility.

The adhesion of the coating to the leather is attained by converting a portion of the grain into projecting fibers adapted to entangle and attach the coating. By converting a portion of the grain into projecting fibers the smoothness characteristic of the grain is largely preserved, as well as a portion of the strength, which is due to its fine and closely-knit texture. The primary coating or so-called daub is then applied to the leather by rubwhich is smoothed as carefully as possible instead of roughened, as is the grain side in the presentiinvention. Vith the grain side roughened in the manner described the leather may be coated by any of the compositions ordinarily employed in making patent or enameled leather.

In applying the daub to theflesh side of leather a slicker or scraping-knife is commonly employed and the daub is made very stiff; but it is obvious that the application of such a daub by a slicker would tend in the case of a roughened grain to press down the fibers which are intentionally formed by rou ghenin g the grain and would noterect the fibers nor entangle them completely with the daub, as is designed in roughening the grain by my invention. In coating the grain-side of the leather prepared by my invention I make the daub somewhat thinner than usual and rub it thoroughly into the roughened grain with a stiff brush.

' My improved method of treating the grain is particularly valuable in enameling skins of the goat and kangaroo, which are extensively used for making the finest patentleather for shoes, and the invention is practiced as follows: The grain side of the leather is abraded by means of an emery-wheel, a grinder, a shaving-machine, or other agent adaptedto scratch the surface and convert a portion of the grain into projecting fibers. The grain side of the leather may be pressed by the hand against a revolving emerywheel, the pressure being graduated so as to loosen and roughen the surface of the grain rather than to cut away and remove its substance. Such operation is Wholly manual; but the roughening may be performed mechanically by first shaving the flesh side in a shaving-machine adapted to reduce the leather to uniform thickness throughout and then supporting the flesh side upon a roller and feeding the skin through the machine to scratch and abrade its surface uniformly.

The roughen ing of the grain mechanically is preferable in this respect, that it can be per applying the final coating.

formed with much greater rapidity; but where it is undesirable for any reason to reduce the leather to uniform thickness throughout the grain may be roughened in an equally: perfect manner by the manual process described above. In coating the prepared skin it is laid upon a flat table and the daub is rubbed into the same with a stifi brush, the bristles of the brush serving to distribute the daub amongthe numerous fibers of the grain and the rubbing of the brush back and forth serving to twist the fibers in every direction and to entangle them most efiectively vgith he thedaub, so as to attach it to the skin. primary coating is then dried and rubbed smooth in theusual manner, and one or more.

additional coats of daub are similarly applied and rubbed down, as may be required, before The coatings are then finished by the varnish or enamel, which is dried in'the usual manner.

I have manufactured paten t-leather extensively with kangaroo-skins roughened upon the grain sideand find that the most perfect adhesion of the enamel to the leather issecured, so that it maybe bent and strained in the severest manner without cracking the enamel. The enamel laid upon the grain side is, I find, smoother than that laid upon the flesh side of the skin, and the product: thus presents a handsomer appearance.

The expense of my treatment is very small, while it adapts the leather perfectly to receive the enamel upon the grain side, and thus produces an article of greater beauty and value.

It should be understood that my invention is of great valvev in the preparation of goat andkangaroo skins for enameling, as the flesh V have not secured the best results.

.vention the best results are easily and cheaply witnesses.

side of such skins does notfurnish'a suitable foundation for the finest, and smoothest enamel, while the natural grain side of such leather is too smooth to retain the enamel with thedesired tenacity.

Calf-skin leather has been commonly enameled upon the flesh side; but very little enameling has been done upon the leather of goat and kangaroo skins, as the experiments of enameling upon either side of such skins By my inobtainefi l and'although the treatment is sim-- ple it isthe result of much study and experiment and furnishes the means of obtaining practically a new and valuable product.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what is claimed herein is 1. In theman ufacture of patent-leatlienthe method of preparing the leather to cause the adhesion of the coating, which method consists in converting a portion of the so-called grain into projecting fibers adaptedto entangle and attach the coating, whereby the strength of the grain is largely preserved.

2. In the manufacture of patent-leather,the method of preparingthe leather for enamel ing, which consists in first shaving the flesh side to make the leather of uniform thickness,

and second, supporting the leather upon the flesh side and simultaneously abrading the grain side to convert a portion of the grain into projecting fibers.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing ALBERT A. GUIGUES.

Witnesses: V

ELBERT -S. GREEN, THOMAS S. CRANE. r 

